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    Judith Calvo Ruiz
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    Madness, demonic possession

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    30 views10 pages

    Madness, Demonic Possession

    Uploaded by

    Judith Calvo Ruiz

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Madness, Demonic Possession, and Methods of Categorization Sur Kaa Petomaa 1 Introdtion Poly of god and ei was a pervasive clement in elgous thought the [Middle Ages Furthermore, de Bele in the omnipresence of supecratural ‘reatores = the powers of demons and saints ~ ws wellasblshed: twas ‘coeptd formate, and defied by the clerical elt and was par fly relist. Acordng othe Fourth Lateran Counc (ai), Ler bad once been an angel but we driven out of heaven afer commiting the in of pie, ‘Therefore, the Devil and his minions were situ creatures with greater pyscal end mental capacity than urns? One manifestation ofthese supe. rior powers as demonic posession: malign sii could ake overa persons body and make hits orev acta md Driving ou malig ps waste ional aatestation of ssn powers alate Ansquly the curs took place ft shrines, since it was the elie and the boy power win them that dove ‘ay demons. In the Middle Ags, some ofthe demoniacs were deiveed st {tance but it sen tha the sacred sphere contoued to pay an impor ft roe: many deliveries took place atthe shrine even If astance mice" formed amy lat medevecanonisation processes? "Theological and medically demonic possession and mental lineses were Aserent state Raving mess ke other fis of insanity was a medial eon tidon, while demoniacs were taken over by an overpowering align spr, ‘whic was itraly dling ined their bodies As he sympeams were often 1 Octane. Pon Loa Pro) ‘rior Omen en Fry sont On Sone od pp le ‘mtn Ape = ena ee sera of Cae Mo pr ‘ae antenna Cate 8 On congntan bern hiner ad aance me, eA Yan La ‘Sino td ou drat ser yng Db prs cin te dzamenshagipaphies oe pe a He, nes ow oe ‘Gevonfcon Carand arate Chin Ke 8 al atom Moses nnn Pca Scien Fntine aoe 28 sta clear dividing line dd not exist and diagnos wa result of neg ‘tion. Inthe medieval word of healing, there were no experts ofthe dese ofthe head” bat mental disorders and psa lneses were treated by the ame specialists. At the sme time, mental ilies various peycolical ‘od itelectal states afin persons capacities o function society and ‘verjday if were ls tackled in the jc comer adel spits were ‘sed san explaration in court asetoexclpate the oflender But thease tree alo ote, with Some eserations, seen asnot respon forthe cries they tay have commited? Inthe legal discourse the main intrest usually ws the permanence of the onuion whether the ers had boen bor with ad whether she had Tuc ines. Demonte posession or Devils esinuaton wer exceptions in legal or adminisuative documents and clear dsincion beeen outght possession and other demonic influence was not reqslrly made or ex le, the insanity defense in general was rare and riperntarl cases wete ‘ot regularly asd as an explanation for mental instability, nly 28 pe ent ‘of such cases record in ere ols and coroner lle rom teenth and ouneenth-century England mention the Dev. They were malay cases fe ‘les andthe perpetrator could not have been serogated ling per ‘natural frees was caused bythe fright end confusion ofthe family members and neighbors as Sara M. Butler suggests, and she continues in sating that {he sheer incompreensbity ofthe act may ave ld 0 this hind of iter prettion, Respectively in letee of remsion in fourteenth and ice ‘century Fano, the Devlismentioned mast often neavesof thet abortions, sd blasphemy n homicides, i mentioned ony i two per cet of eases ‘According to Claude Gaur, eters of remission the Devt ws ipially ‘mentloned only it was impossbleo blame the itm for dhe cae” "WT deer eran) he ant Baa Penn Ma Emp Exonny Dooly te Hvar eal Ura Modan Bigs Dir ees etm 0 Te Mas eee ae ‘tat an, Tr Coe nd Cn of Maly Aree ‘Date i! pinto eo A recinge etng? atosava Disb tee nen po Dy ae. este and ori Fras 0 4 Tener Coren Cnty png Se lh uma Sn Tey: to Dap an Laer noma nso etl ay Moc pa Invent WT), Mad Mt! ow an Ct nen [EB Ones wnt erly pdr evel bah nis he cn ‘nda nlp nla tet ren Geant teh 5 SAC Bae, "potg the ie Aw The Iny Dee tn Mail Blan, In Sumer and Vandever era oe) he Patna! of Rs In the ld of medicine, demons appear more fequenty a medial wea ‘ser exorcim itns were ocrasinally recommended as acureforlunaey and pllepay® Univer trained phyiians used humoral theory as an explana tory framework illnesses and were more inclined find natural anes for ‘mental lines They wee reglrywiling to adm, however, that demons ‘ould disturb the humonl balance for example by causing saperbundance ‘of black bile, which cou be remedied by balaacng the de.” However rom, the thineenth century onwards In teatesfocring on practical medicine, swe “paca, media waters sso discussed the possi of demons ‘ing ebind vrious mental dors. tn pricy, authors with Arabic Inuence were more wiling accept the idea of demons afectng piel heath aswell? ‘Demonic possession overlapped yt was not synonymows with aving mad nas asthe symptoms were sia: convulsions foaming mouths and roling ‘jes were described n both conditions, Bath demonias and madmen could bbeagsesv, verbally abusive snd even vient towards chemslvsr other ‘aialgeEming Daly te sr pl ey Ma nd agoue arnt Megs Levis ts ep an etal tron cra Pe pe cc ee one if ay ‘oun «5 Coca Charn sn ye Made Med Then and Pre Sc of ‘Med 6 anh pp. 86 Rees Mag nd th hh Tee enya Sve oy of Maso oy 1 Ont den ed Sing tr 9 sel deo keg he aha ‘are eng ae emton or ddan wh po hat ‘a Scag england men eM erg Ts ae [2 Sle abc Mon Ten ad Peps bene on} det (in mt ie tg 20 pp Om one {ite toe ng decane Mand ees (cn Dues stein Wha ML Sei re Lone {Conk Hew onste Horan Zr ernie hniilon ‘Prime Blas 9-7 her Meisner Ce ‘Arm aoa Cal 1 Ac dl hrs fom Contain he Aen a Aaa 9 Aen ote {Ee pty of decree aa ah peel Un oe Cie ‘Sonesta Dunn ae Sede Mele n Raipl anand ‘Sie la eta On at eden Bop eas She ‘Sot ht tcl cet ot me ee ving ce ay ‘sey been fn he sar een eee ew ot Pot Ineroeeten tes een uno! ans A Mold ecm pp sy sao Uk cn The ptf Mains Ucn Dagros fie Haron of any im th Mics ory oma of Mado Ag (he sg ‘Uncontlabie ces, aimless wandering os wells thing ela damaged were reported in both conditions Baspheming God and ssint andthe aborence ofsacredshings were moreseni linked witheatenofdemonicpesesion bit they were not unmistakable signs Mental disorders fered from the pial ‘nes however as they didnot necesariyhave any concrete physical signe and the symptoms could have been mainly socal. ven if some medial authors recognized the bra a nucleus fr mental lsades, dey could have ben ‘brought out spit hings axel ince demons were offer considered tw bethe reason for one ating utof ones mind the ease was spit, ‘thesolton elo needed obese-eatly doco could notdo muchin eases of Alemeanors Indeed, onary wt not even considered tobe in, snce the possessing spit dwelled inthe body while the sul temalned umber ‘shed Demonte possession at deseibed Inthe depositions f canonization processes wes no howeves a benef wate. Inallieihood twas stigma, yet something that could end would be overcome: after the divine rice the ‘itms were no longer ony former demoises but wor aso beneficiaries of divine grace ntact, The approach changed inthe easly modern et when the posse were mow real sen as ether vitins of madison of hay ‘ng willingly submited othe det The comprehension ofthe phenomenon hanged aswell Acsoating to Moshe Shows, “labolic possesion was no Jongerunderstod soley a an fiction. twas nw argued thal, at tes, ‘oul take place within the soul without ary external physical signs that had ‘characterized medieval posesions” These ideas were undoubtedly linked to wider societal processes of tedlcaliaton, demontation and attempts to Increase ce contol of the church. Both historians and anthroplogets claim dat demonic possession Is a ‘phenomenon mor likly o happen to nore marginal members of sole Potentially marginal member deviant actions were also mare easly beled ssp possession - andthe condition of being x demonlae may hae further Fy Sis ne eBay 8 SS Oeste cates Con of Hsbc, Mae Metrum amg eed sp On conan on en indie Ferien ctosrtnges che mine ett Rey The Do ‘enoalgr ant When Dh opments ea of Sri Ne Yok ‘enya CE Cha i rae pr ne ye Ox “Trt sn per pan a ete pore sey Sorbo dl eB utp maple paces ‘Sol ble te uorsed Boman vn so Me amarante rn one oe, aise 200 {Ela Ting th emo Ph eo Wag ty Mode Erp Oh, coed rested thei marginally Demonte possession may have lsoboenamesnsfor the expression of dissent, anxiety orange but he eit of demons enabled the {nteraton back io the eommanity Many cars argue tht demonic pos ‘session was estentiallya feminine penomenon. Fr example, Nay Cacola tals of diabolzation ofthe feminine inthe later madera clr, and Dyan lit argues shat female myc were increasingly inked to interaction with ‘he Dev and mystical mariage with Crit toa unlon wth demons oth of ‘them cai hat rom the perspective of the clerical ele, women in genet ‘were considered toe othe margin the "reigns other = ‘The majority ofthe victims in medieval possession cases were women. They Aidt however ormancalstve category Wehave ready mec Petrus Gadde and Franses boy posses by a demon, butadalt men end Become re tims of demonic saul aswel nthe canoniaton process of Ril tere ‘were n partclar many (¢4o%) adult men among the pesesed.* Quite {fe of them were also of god sacl standing. As members ofthe cegy ‘wee he main wits on these occasions, Scans tat the ding line ran aloacording to derc or secular satus A casein point ical ia, a depicting possesed man. According to the deposition of Petras Oli, Birgit former conesor the possessed man sd Birgit: "O ow ds ‘ars your spit in you fom rine in me, but when pleases yours I wl be recovered completly The man in question was not jst anybody but man of high satus Johannes Storberi a Inwman (lagman’) of Osrgland was by no means ofa marginal poston, yee was nota member ofthe ‘engy—the ones ncharge of dept the mage of Birgita a thaumatuge, Johanne postion as “infirm but athe same tne “oses plies hat Strict categories between mental lneses and demonle posession were ‘ruck in this process. “Infos” wae aot ple word used for demons 5) Ga crn Sat a9 Can ie tk Cal Me ‘sonia nd he any Si ass na! aes Comparae Sn Sy on ry (a) p36 bee pg nd Dis, “Th Pog oR al Yen pry mB an) Mee Ma Ty and or oy Brande Pe ‘52 ound nee caerof denne ne cance rc on ng fd Sith ek wt ir el th vn a rie Prana sl gundam pt quota emer pec pes contin a Bp hn Serr fmon csc docments wat {ds bol ay deed dsl er pomesone See ims hadaren deeet number sg ta tl Ss beh euhoa SINKS fered tao. ‘tseems to hae been a sort of ube tem covering many sons of aiments, toch mental an phys The most evident message of Johannes Sorbets ‘case was however the dscermment of Bits stat She was without doubt osreed bythe divineSphit fr further assurance, the eibeshad marked in the margin ofthe deposition “note how the Devl confirms the good spit In Birgit In ts cae, the being power was 2 divine grace bu it was how ver pri controlled bythe ly they ware the ones in charge of depicting Birgit as tnt iphtlng with demons and ssf people. They dened the ‘miaclos and label the cases int ble sub catego, deliveries ‘om demonic posession. 4 Gonctsions In his cen book, Bran. Levack argues for acura script fo he perfor ‘ance of the demonies. According him all demonics fleas “whether vor nt, whether dupictous or not, were flowing theta sips that ‘were encode in their religiouscalturs2"On general level one can ageeal ‘ninculous recoveries wee cll prfomances up to certain point elt fades defined the general bounderes ofthe micslous aed performances Intent, Nevertheless there appear to heve been ample room fr varlous ‘ncerpretations~ of symptoms backgroupd reason rituals of cure aswell 5

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